10 Manipulative Gaming Tactics You Fall For Every Time

So, you've made a decent game. But, it's really short. How do you pad that runtime and make sure people will continue to pour hours into it? Add a loot-grind system of course!

Loot-grinding is a fairly straightforward system. Use the loot you get to defeat enemies to get better loot, etc. In general, this mechanic is found in major MMO titles, like Destiny and The Division. Both have bare story campaigns and rely on the players to compete in the same events over and over so they can get better loot. This problem is strongest in Destiny, where new content is usually added at a much higher level than the one you're currently at, making you grind to level up just to continue playing.

This is the thing, however. We are like crows, attracted to shiny objects; we have to collect all the loot. Developers hype the next expansion or patch new weapons you need to be a certain level to use. Therefore, we grind, because we can't be left behind. We must be up to date with the best gear or skins while other, better games pass us by. I mean, you could always pay extra money to skip the grind, since more often than not developers will stick predatory systems like that into their games.

If you have to pay to bypass the grind, the game just isn't worth it.